


El's Firsts

by orphan_account



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mileven
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 14:42:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15488130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: What happens when El unexpectedly gets her first period? Fluff. Fluff happens. First installment of "El's Firsts" series.





	1. El's First Period

“Hey, is everything okay?”

El was snapped out of her reverie and realized that she hadn’t been listening to anything that Mike was saying about the science project he was working on.

“Sorry, I’m fine. Just tired.”

She gave him a halfhearted smile as he took her books and started walking her to her first period class, English.

It was a few weeks into their freshman year, and El was finally starting to get the hang of things. She was feeling less overwhelmed by the social interaction and she had developed a good routine with studying and school work. Her favorite parts of the school day were lunch and art, the two times that she got to see Mike. She would have liked to have more classes with him, but he was in the honors track and she was not. She did, however, have most classes with Max which meant that they were becoming much closer friends.

On this particular Tuesday, El had been feeling a little more moody than usual. She got into an argument with Hopper over breakfast regarding her Eggos’ lack of nutritional value. This brought on her sour mood that had persisted throughout the morning. She was also feeling like her stomach hurt, which she begrudgingly attributed to the fact that she had had an Eggo Extravaganza for breakfast. Damn Hopper for being right.

 

Max noticed that something was up with her, so when El said that she was going to stop at the bathroom before going to lunch she decided to join her.

“Hey, El, what’s up with you today? You seem really out of it.”

“I’m fine, I’m just tired and not really in the mood for school.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. I am so ready to get out of here. I think Lucas and I are going to the arcade after school if you want to come. He thinks he is going to beat my high score in Dig Dug, which is hysterical. I really need to do homework at some point, though. That English essay that’s due tomorrow is kicking my ass. How far have you-“

“Max?”

“Yeah?”

“I think something is wrong.”

“What?”

“I’m bleeding.”

El sounded completely horrified. Max looked around to make sure no one else was in the bathroom, but luckily everyone else had gone off to lunch. She whispered through the crack in the stall, “You’re bleeding? Like your period?”

“My what??”

“Your period? Please tell me you know what a period is.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Okay, I don’t really know how to explain it except that it’s totally normal and it happens to all girls once a month once you’re a teenager. It like means that you can have babies now or something? I don’t know, maybe we can get Mrs. Beyers to explain it to you later.”

“So, I’m just going to bleed?? For how long?” When El said this, Max could tell that she had started crying. Shit. Why didn’t Hopper warn her about this? Or at least ask Mrs. Beyers to?

“I don’t know like five days? It’s really not that bad.”

“Five DAYS? What am I supposed to do to keep it off my clothes?”

“Oh yeah, let me run to my locker to get you a pad. Are you going to be okay in here until I get back?”

“Yes.” She sounded completely pitiful.

 

Max hurried out of the bathroom and towards her locker as fast as she could. She was going around the corner in the hall when she slammed into Mike.

“Hey! What’s wrong? Where is El? You’re usually in lunch by now.”

“El is having… a girl problem.”

“What?” He said obliviously.

“She just got her period, okay?” Mike’s face fell. This was not at all what he was expecting. “…And she’s totally freaking out because she didn’t even know what a period was until right now. I am running to my locker to get her something for it. Do you wanna go talk to her? She’s in the bathroom across from Mr. B’s.”

“I can’t go into the girl’s bathroom!”

“Don’t worry, it’s empty!” Max shouted as she ran the rest of the way to her locker.

 

Mike walked to the bathroom nervously. What do you even say in this situation? He wished he had time to go ask Nancy for advice. He felt really weird about going into the girl’s room. Does she even want me to go in there? Is this a total invasion of privacy? What the heck am I going to say? As much as he was dreading the possible awkwardness of the situation, he just couldn’t handle the thought of El being alone and upset in the bathroom.

“El, are you in here?”

“Mike?”

“Hey, I just ran into Max and she told me what happened. Is it okay if I come in?”

“Yes.”

As he got closer to her stall, he could hear her sniffling and crying, which just broke his heart. It wasn’t something that she did often and it really shook him when it happened.

“Hey, El, it’s okay. It’s completely normal and it happens to all girls. You’re going to be okay.”

“If it’s normal and happens to all girls, then why did no one tell me?” He could hear her anger when she said this. Even though he knew it was not his place or obligation to be the one to explain periods to his girlfriend, he couldn’t help but be mad at himself for not making sure that she knew this was coming before it happened.

“You’re right. Someone should have told you. I’m really sorry, El. I know this is probably awful.”

She didn’t respond. He really just wanted to hold her and make her feel better. The thought of her like this was killing him.

“Hey, do you want to skip the rest of the day?”

“What?”

“I have a feeling you won’t be paying attention in the rest of your classes anyway. Let’s go back to my house and hang out in the basement? My mom is watching the neighbor’s kids today so I know she won’t be home until later. We can eat ice cream and watch movies?”

“Yes. Oh, yes please.”

Just then, Max returned with a pad and Mike left the bathroom so that she could explain the procedure to El. When they came out of the bathroom, El ran right into Mike’s arms and he held her tight for a moment. “Alright, let’s get you out of here.”

 

Once back at Mike’s house, he got a half eaten carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream from the freezer and led El down to the basement and into the blanket fort. They sat across from each other on the floor and started eating out of the carton.

“So, why is this happening to me?”

“Um… well… You know how girls have babies?”

“Yes.”

“It has something to do with that. I don’t know, I wish I could explain better. We’ll get Nancy when she comes home from school.” Mike was blushing and couldn’t seem to bring his eyes to meet El’s.

El didn’t notice this as she mulled over what he said. While she had had no clue what a period was, she at least had an idea of how babies are made thanks to the romantic plots in her soap operas.

“Mike?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think we’ll have babies someday?”

“Yeah, El, I do.” After he responded, he immediately started questioning himself. Is it so weird that I just said that? “Well, I mean I hope so. It would be cool. I just, I think you’d be really great Mom.” He said this this all very quickly. He looked up at El, who had a small smile on her face. Mike was relieved that she wasn’t totally weirded out by his answer.

“Mike?”

“Yeah?”

“I think you’ll be a really good dad.”

Mike’s heart melted and he beamed at El. She moved the ice cream out of the way and scooted up so that their knees were touching. She put her hand on the side of his face and leaned in to give him a kiss that tasted like mint chocolate chip.


	2. El's First New Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is about El’s first New Year’s Eve party at the Byers’ which unexpectedly turns into a sleepover (with plenty of Mileven fluff obviously).

“Come on, kid. We’re gonna be late!”

It was 9:12pm and Hopper was knocking on the bathroom door for the third time.

“I’m sure you look fine. We should have left 20 minutes ago. Let’s get moving!”

El suddenly threw open the door and walked out.

“How do I look?” She had the exasperated look of a girl who had just spent hours trying on different clothes, experimenting with makeup, and re-doing her hair several different ways. She ended up in a sleeveless floral knee-length dress over a fitted grey t-shirt. Hopper had driven her to a mall a few hours away to go shopping for new clothes, as was her Christmas request.

“You look fine. Put on your coat and get in the car.”

“You didn’t even look at me!!”

“That’s because I know you look fine!” He shouted this over his shoulder as he walked out the door. El rushed to grab her coat and followed him.

 

“Two eights.”

“Bullshit!”

“How did you know??”

“Because I have three eights in my hand right now!”

Mike, Will, and Dustin were playing cards around the Byers’ kitchen table while Joyce was getting food ready for their party.

“The bagel bites are cool enough to eat if you boys want them,” Joyce said as she put a plate down next to them on the table.

“Mom, I think you made enough food. It’s just the four of us!”

“What’s Nancy doing tonight?,” asked Dustin innocently enough. He’d never admit it, but their dance at the Snow Ball had reignited the crush he had had on her when he first stared hanging out with Mike.

“How should I know? She’s somewhere with Jonathan.” Mike was trying not to be a downer at the party, but it just really sucked knowing that El was so close and yet he still couldn’t see her. The last time they saw each other was at the Snow Ball, which was a few weeks ago. He pestered Hopper at the police station whenever he got the chance, but he was adamant that they were going to play it safe. The one thing Hopper said that gave him hope was that he was going to start letting Mike come over to tutor El so that she’d be ready to start school in the Fall, but he didn’t know how long it would be until that started.

Joyce continued to fuss over the very large amount of food she had made. “Where is Lucas? And I told you that you could invite Max if she wanted to come.”

“Lucas is skiing with his family in Vermont and I did invite Max, but she’s visiting her dad in California.” Will had already told her this, but she was frazzled and trying to do too many things at once. He really wished that his mother wouldn’t stress out so much over little things.

Just then there was knock at the door. The boys stopped playing their game to listen as Joyce rushed out of the kitchen to answer it.

“Sorry we’re late. Here’s a bottle of champagne to make up for it.”

Mike was frozen in his seat as soon as he heard Hopper’s voice. Could this be real? Please let El be with him. He couldn’t leave her alone on New Years, right?? He was afraid to get his hopes up, but he felt a sudden rush of adrenaline at the possibility of her being there.

“Oh don’t worry about it. Come in, it’s freezing out there! Oh, sweetie your legs must be so cold! Here, let me take your coats.”

Joyce led them back into the kitchen. “I hope you’re both hungry. I made plenty of food!”

As El walked into the room she immediately locked eyes with Mike. He popped out of his chair and walked around the table. While he was having an internal debate on how to greet her (Do I hug her? Can I kiss her? That would be weird in front of everybody. Maybe a casual side hug?), El ran right into his arms and squeezed him tight. After a moment Mike pulled back, holding her hands in his.

He couldn’t believe that she was really here, right in front of him. He took in her appearance- her pinned back curls, her dark eyelashes, her pretty dress. How the hell did I end up with this girl who is so entirely out of my league? The first thought that came to his mind was that she is the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, but he felt to embarrassed to say that in front of everyone. Instead he opted for a more neutral, “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

She gave him a small smile and he squeezed her hands.

“Alright, kid, you haven’t eaten since lunch so come over here and load up a plate.” Hopper didn’t mind Mike, he knew that he really cared about El and wanted to protect her as much as he did. But, that didn’t mean he actually wanted to SEE any romantic interaction.

After El got some food, she sat down at the table next to Mike. 

“So, do you want me to teach you how to play? It’s actually pretty easy.”

“Sure.”

He scooted his chair close to hers and showed her his cards as he began to explain the game. She turned a little bit towards him, pretending to be interested in his cards, but really just wanting to feel his leg pressed against hers. Mike returned the pressure against her leg, trying to suppress a smile as he looked down at his cards. El tried to keep up with the game, but she was too distracted by the butterflies in her stomach. 

“So, how did you like the Snow Ball, El? Was dancing with Mike more or less enjoyable than fighting a Demogorgan?”

“Shut up, Dustin!”

“Just kidding, Mike! I’m sure you were a real Casanova out there.” Dustin gave him a wink.

“I liked the Snow Ball. I thought it was fun.” She smiled at Mike, which made him blush.

“Well, we’re all really glad that you’re back, El. I don’t think we could have withstood any more of Mike’s moodiness. He was a real bitch when you were away, you know.”

“Dustin!”

“Hey, it’s the truth man!

Mike glared at Dustin, his cheeks red, while Will looked across the table at El. “We’re all really glad that you’re back, Eleven. I think that’s what Dustin is trying to say.”

“Thanks, Will.”

 

When it was closer to midnight, the kids joined Joyce and Hopper in the living room where they were watching a New Year’s Eve program on TV. El noticed that Hopper had bright red cheeks and seemed to be more giggly than usual. He had his arm casually draped on the couch behind Joyce, a bottle of beer in his hand, and a big smile on his face. “Hey, guys, come join the party!” 

Will sat in the recliner next to the couch and Dustin sat in the other one across from it. Mike followed them into the room. “Dustin, get off the chair so El has a place to sit.”

“Why don’t you make Will move?”

“Because it’s his house!”

“Fine! But, I get final say in what movie we watch tonight.”

“What?! No way. You’re gonna make us all watch Indiana Jones again.”

“What’s wrong with Indiana Jones? You love Indiana Jones!”

“Not after you’ve made us all watch it twenty times!”

“Okay, fine! I get to pick the movie, but it won’t be Indiana Jones.”

“All right, whatever. Here, sit down, El.”

Dustin got up and sat on the floor in front of the coffee table. El sat down and Mike sat on the floor in front of her, his back against her chair. Again, they slowly gravitated towards each other until his shoulder was pressed against her leg. They watched the New Year’s Eve program, talking about which musical acts were the best and making fun of the ones they didn’t like. As it got closer to midnight, Mike realized with a jolt that it’s pretty standard to kiss your girl on New Year’s Eve. It’s not that he didn’t want to kiss El, but he kind of felt awkward about it in front of Hopper and everybody. When he had kissed her at the Snow Ball, he was in a crowded gym and no one was paying any particular attention to them. He internally debated whether or not to kiss her up until the countdown started. 

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

The kids all jumped up and started to cheer. Mike reached down for El’s hand and pulled her up and into a quick kiss. She blushed and smiled at Mike, who quickly looked to see if Hopper had noticed, but he was currently passed out on the side of the couch.

 

“Honey, I was just thinking even if we wake him he won’t be in any condition to drive. If you want, I can drive you both home? Or, you can spend the night? It’s up to you.” Joyce gave El a motherly squeeze on the arm. They were talking in the kitchen while the boys were getting blankets out of the closet and arguing over what movie they were going to put on. 

“Um, we can stay.” El said this quietly, but she was actually very excited that she was going to be able to spend more time with Mike before she had to go back to her lonely existence in the cabin. 

“Okay, let me go find you some pajamas. The boys are just going to fall asleep watching a movie in the living room. So, you can sleep there if you want or you can have Will’s bed if you don’t want to sleep on the floor.”

“I don’t mind the floor.” 

“Okay. Boys! Eleven and Hopper are staying the night. Can you make her a place to sleep?”

“Mike will!”

“Shut up, Dustin!”

Joyce and El were already halfway down the hall to the laundry room, where Joyce found a clean clothes for El to wear. She showed her to the bathroom where she got changed as Joyce went to check on the boys in the living room.

“I don’t want any funny business in here, all right boys? You’re all to watch your movie and go to sleep. Understand?”

“Hopper is right there, mom! You don’t have to worry.”

She glanced at Hopper, who was lightly snoring and did not seem particularly intimidating at the moment. “Fine, I won’t worry, I won’t worry. I am heading to bed. Goodnight, boys!”

A minute later, El appeared in the doorway wearing an oversized t-shirt and pajama pants. Mike thought she looked completely adorable, but secretly wished that she was wearing his clothes. “Come here, El. I made up your bed for you.” 

There were two big blankets laid out on the floor, with Will and Dustin on one and Mike and a space for El on the other. Will was putting in the movie they were going to watch, saying, “We decided on Star Trek. It’s a cool movie about outer space and stuff.”

“Yeah, we would have watched Star Wars which is way cooler, but it’s really late and we’re probably all going to fall asleep anyway. So, I figured we should save it for another time.” El smiled at Mike as she sat down next to him. She liked that he cared so much about her enjoying the things that he liked. She liked that he was planning for them to watch movies together in the future. They hadn’t had any sort of formal conversation to define their relationship, but El could tell how Mike felt about her. 

The previews started and they all laid down and climbed under the blankets. Will and Dustin shared the comforter from Will’s bed, while Mike and El had Jonathan’s.

“I hope you don’t mind sharing a blanket, we couldn’t find any more.”

El did not mind.

 

Once the movie started they all fell quiet. El could feel the heat from Mike’s body, which was only inches from hers. She really tried to pay attention to the movie, but it was completely impossible. Her mind kept drifting to the boy next to her. Mike was having similar problems and was also not watching the movie, although he was staring at the TV. I can’t believe she is laying next to me. I wish she was closer. Should I move closer? Would that be weird? She smells so good. Why does she smell so good? Maybe I should reach out to take her hand? While he was deliberating, El scooted over so that her body was against his and her head was on his shoulder. Mike tried not to smile like an idiot as he slid his arm out to put it around her.

They were both very aware that this was the most physical contact they had ever had. Despite the fact that it was well past midnight, they were both wide awake with excitement and adrenaline as they stared at the movie that neither of them were watching. After a while, before Mike could stop himself, he lifted his hand up to run his fingers through her soft curls. He could feel her smile against his chest, so he continued to play with her hair. A little later, El slid her had from his chest down his side so that she was hugging him. Being deprived of human contact for so long in the lab, she especially appreciated the warm feeling of being close to Mike. 

The movie ended and neither of them moved. 

“Mike?”

“Yeah?”

“Is everyone else asleep?”

He turned his head to look and responded, “Yeah, they’re all asleep.”

She looked up at him and they stared at each other for a long time. 

“El, can I tell you something?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

She smiled and blushed and tried to look down, but he lifted her chin with his fingers and pressed his lips against hers. Unlike their peck at midnight, he kissed her slow and waited a long moment before pulling away. She opened her eyes and they looked at each other for a while again.

“Mike?”

“Yeah?”

“I missed you so much. So much. I just… I just wanted you to know that. Because I heard you talking to me every day, so I know that you missed me and you were having a hard time, and I want you to know that it was really hard for me, too. Being away from you. I missed you a lot.”

“Let’s never do that again, okay?”

“Okay.” El smiled and put her head back down on his chest. Mike kissed her forehead and they both fell asleep wrapped up in each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr: mileven-for-days.tumblr.com


End file.
